Changes to the Cattle Industry (1882-87)

In 1882 , there was a fall in demand. In the East, beef had become so plentiful that shops had to lower their prices to sell the meat. This meant that prices paid for beef fell. By 1882, profits were beginning to decrease, so ranchers kept their cattle in order to save it for when prices rose again.

In 1883, there was a lot of soil erosion and loss of pasture. Overstocking had damaged the soil, and when droughts hit in 1883, the grass withered and died, making the overstocking problem worse. Prairie fires also reduced grass cover.